Wednesday, December 12th, 2007
“The former CIA intelligence official who went public on ABC News about the agency’s use of waterboarding in interrogations, John Kiriakou, apparently will not be the subject of a Justice Department investigation, even though some CIA officials believe he revealed classified information about the use of waterboarding…. Gen. Michael Hayden, the CIA director, did sent out a classified memo this morning warning all employees ‘of the importance of protecting classified information,’ a CIA spokesperson told ABCNews.com.” Importance of whosawhatsitnow? Secrecy, got it. [ABC News]
“The former CIA intelligence official who went public on ABC News about the agency’s use of waterboarding in interrogations, John Kiriakou, apparently will not be the subject of a Justice Department investigation, even though some CIA officials believe he revealed classified information about the use of waterboarding…. Gen. Michael Hayden, the CIA director, did sent out a classified memo this morning warning all employees ‘of the importance of protecting classified information,’ a CIA spokesperson told ABCNews.com.” Importance of whosawhatsitnow? Secrecy, got it. [ABC News]









The CIA is rolling out its charm offensive this week in the wake of reports that destroyed evidence and in the face of increasing public scrutiny of the waterboarding technique. Former CIA agent John Kiriakou got on the teevee to talk about that rose-hued day he and his team waterboarded notorious Al-Quaida bad guy Abu Zubaydah (pictured).
Former White House aide Lewis “Scooter” Libby has dropped his his appeal in the CIA leak case, his attorney said Monday. “We remain firmly convinced of Mr. Libby’s innocence,” attorney Theodore Wells said. “However, the realities were, that after five years of government service by Mr. Libby and several years of defending against this case, the burden on Mr. Libby and his young family of continuing to pursue his complete vindication are too great to ask them to bear.” Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has said the leak investigation is now closed.
So you know how the
Scott McClellan was the White House press secretary during a tough stretch. Let’s call it the “Golden Age of Lying,” as opposed to the “I Have Feeling Bush Is Lying” (2001-2003) and “Eh, Bush Is Lying Again, Big Whoop” (2005-present) eras that bookended his tenure. McClellan always seemed like a decent guy beneath that shiny veneer of geopolitical sin, and now he’s coming out to exonerate himself.
So, this guy? He is your Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, Donald Kerr, and he would like you to trust him and all the nameless, faceless bureaucrats reading your e-mail, listening in on your phone calls and checking your financial accounts. Because, see, while it’s fine for them to be anonymous, he needs you to understand that you really don’t need to be, because “privacy” has nothing to do with anonymity anymore!
While Michael Hayden and the
The CIA has inexplicably come up with